I can't remember where I heard what I am about to relate, but it's been years ago. It may have been Carolyn Myss or Mary Anne Williamson The story goes that you turn your life over to God, and the first thing that you hear is, "Thank you." The second thing that you hear is, "Hold on!"
The wind is howling outside--really howling, like shake-the-windows kind of howling. It was 70 today in Washington, and tomorrow single digits are promised again. That is the calmest thing in my life right now. Rather than resist, like a surfer, I've learned to ride the waves.
I turned my life over to God decades ago, and I have to admit that it has been a ride. But, then again, that is how I learned to surf. We are now in Lent, and each year at this time, I find this force that I call God toys with me a bit. Things are almost always unpredictable. Often good things happen. Always unexpected things occur.
Today two people in my office who have fought me for years were actually nice to me...both...on the same day...actually in the same hour. Now that is certainly unexpected. I am not sure I am ready to say it is good, because this feels more than a little like waiting for the other shoe to drop. For today, however, I am grateful...even if a bit mystified.
There are definitely times when it is better to ride the waves of the unexpected than to fight the unreality of expectation. I'm holding on as I get out my surf board.
Showing posts with label expect the unexpected.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label expect the unexpected.. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Expecting the Unexpected
There is a corollary in physics that order is always implicit in chaos, and chaos is always implicit in order. Most of us have probably had a time in our lives where things were going great, and all of the sudden something unexpected totally upended our lives: chaos being implicit in order. Most of us can probably also remember a time when things just seemed so crazy that they made no sense at all and then suddenly like pieces of a puzzle, everything fell into place, revealing a new reality that couldn't have been imagined just before.
My day started with almost back-to-back reports of massive protests and violence in the Ukraine and Venezuela. A report followed shortly thereafter that Mississippi seems to have reverted back 60 years with a noose incident on the statue of James Meredith, the first black student at the University of Mississippi. Of course, the incident generated protests there as well. Violence continues in Syria, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.
When I went to bed, I had been watching stories from the Winter Olympics where the Canadian son of a Chinese immigrant trains for men's figure skating in Detroit, while the winner of the gold in that event was a young Japanese man who trains in Toronto. Then, of course, there was the Kazakhstani son of Korean parents, who has trained in Russia and now lives and trains in California. I cannot neglect to mention the Russian hockey player, who is star of the Washington (DC) Capitals, who is competing for Russia, or the Russian snowboarder whose parents took jobs in Switzerland when he was young. In Vancouver, he competed for Russia; this time he wore Swiss colors. Not only did the world seem orderly, but I felt the coming together, which I believe is our destiny to claim.
How my consciousness was jarred this morning with chaos on my clock radio even before I was out of my bed. Was this the same world that put me to bed? All day I've felt a sense of spiritual confusion. Yet, I know that chaos has been the vehicle for a global outpouring of love before. I recall the week in which we lost Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, and Sir George Schulte. For a few days the world stilled, grieved, and loved. Millions wept together. And can anyone who was alive and over 10 forget the daily crumbling of the former Soviet Bloc. That chaos, which preceded the order of new states emerging, has often been followed by more chaos, such as in the Ukraine today.
I cannot forget, personally, how the chaos of a spontaneously breaking neck led me to finally realize my passion for dance nearly 20 years ago. I am most grateful for the pain that brought me to dance.
Maybe expecting the unexpected should be the order of the day every day. If God is mystery, perhaps any time that we begin to think we know how things are is just the time God shows us that we really don't know. We are reminded to reach out. Certainly at times of change in either direction are times that we often utter prayers, either of gratitude or pleas for help and mercy. Tonight as I say my prayers, I will offer both: a prayer of gratitude for peace, order, and sanity in Sochi and another prayer for help and mercy in places plagued with violence all around the world.
My day started with almost back-to-back reports of massive protests and violence in the Ukraine and Venezuela. A report followed shortly thereafter that Mississippi seems to have reverted back 60 years with a noose incident on the statue of James Meredith, the first black student at the University of Mississippi. Of course, the incident generated protests there as well. Violence continues in Syria, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.
When I went to bed, I had been watching stories from the Winter Olympics where the Canadian son of a Chinese immigrant trains for men's figure skating in Detroit, while the winner of the gold in that event was a young Japanese man who trains in Toronto. Then, of course, there was the Kazakhstani son of Korean parents, who has trained in Russia and now lives and trains in California. I cannot neglect to mention the Russian hockey player, who is star of the Washington (DC) Capitals, who is competing for Russia, or the Russian snowboarder whose parents took jobs in Switzerland when he was young. In Vancouver, he competed for Russia; this time he wore Swiss colors. Not only did the world seem orderly, but I felt the coming together, which I believe is our destiny to claim.
How my consciousness was jarred this morning with chaos on my clock radio even before I was out of my bed. Was this the same world that put me to bed? All day I've felt a sense of spiritual confusion. Yet, I know that chaos has been the vehicle for a global outpouring of love before. I recall the week in which we lost Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, and Sir George Schulte. For a few days the world stilled, grieved, and loved. Millions wept together. And can anyone who was alive and over 10 forget the daily crumbling of the former Soviet Bloc. That chaos, which preceded the order of new states emerging, has often been followed by more chaos, such as in the Ukraine today.
I cannot forget, personally, how the chaos of a spontaneously breaking neck led me to finally realize my passion for dance nearly 20 years ago. I am most grateful for the pain that brought me to dance.
Maybe expecting the unexpected should be the order of the day every day. If God is mystery, perhaps any time that we begin to think we know how things are is just the time God shows us that we really don't know. We are reminded to reach out. Certainly at times of change in either direction are times that we often utter prayers, either of gratitude or pleas for help and mercy. Tonight as I say my prayers, I will offer both: a prayer of gratitude for peace, order, and sanity in Sochi and another prayer for help and mercy in places plagued with violence all around the world.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Expecting the Unexpected
By now, I should just trust that when I am being guided, something extraordinary is going to happen. For some crazy reason, I continue to be surprised, sometimes even awe-struck. So it was this afternoon, when I met Alexander.
But first I should share a little back story. My day started with a special docent tour at the National Gallery of nativity art by the Old Masters. I enjoy art but really don't know much about it, so I am like a sponge when I am around someone so knowledgeable. When we finished around noon, though, I was snapped back to my busy to-do list. I had only this afternoon to do most of my holiday shopping, and I really wanted something fresh to wear to a dance this evening. While I could have gone off racing, I didn't. Instead of slipping into high gear, I meandered with ease. I noticed the clever art on the windows of the Starbucks, and I even chuckled outloud at the "To..." label someone had stuck on the outside of a window painted with a gift box and ribbons on the inside.
Then, I started walking by a number of homeless people, who were panhandling. I gave small amounts to two before entering a store. When I came out, I automatically turned right toward the Metro which was just a short distance when I got a clear message: "Walk!" OK: my next destination was just one Metro stop. Then, I was guided very specifically on my route, walking by several more panhandlers.
Then, Alexander asked for money for coffee. (At this point, of course, I didn't know he was Alexander.) I immediately knew that I was to say "yes" to this tall, thin African-American young man with dreadlocks and goatee. Almost as quickly, I knew I was to take him for coffee, not give him money. For the 150 feet to the McDonald's, my conversation was guided. The short version is that I bought Alexander coffee...and lunch, and I stayed to talk with him.
To say this was a most unexpected conversation would be an understatement. Alexander had been in DC for two years, since the death of his mother, to do research at the Library of Congress. He pulled out a stack of papers (2" high) to show me the genealogical research he'd been working on. We talked for at least an hour, a conversation that touched on algebra, genetics/chromosomes, farming, law, etiquette, posture (I straightened mine,) and theology. We also talked about doing good in the world, gratitude, following what Alexander called his "zeal," and helping others be better. His vocabulary was impressive even as he talked about wanting to get his GED.
I say "we" because while I was engaged in the conversation, mostly Alexander was talking like someone starved for someone to listen. Twice he stopped and asked if I didn't have somewhere else I needed to be, and twice I quite honestly said I was enjoying the conversation and learning from him. I learned stuff, but mostly I learned about my judgment. I also learned how grateful I was that I had taken time to listen to the voice that had brought Alexander into my life today. I had totally forgotten my to-do list.
As we parted, I looked Alexander in the eye and sincerely thanked him for allowing me to sit with him during lunch. I asked him to do one thing for me. "Please," I said, "will you do something kind for another person before you sleep?"
He smiled from ear to ear as he said, "I will!" The truth is that he already had. The Grocery Store Game keeps delivering the unexpected.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
But first I should share a little back story. My day started with a special docent tour at the National Gallery of nativity art by the Old Masters. I enjoy art but really don't know much about it, so I am like a sponge when I am around someone so knowledgeable. When we finished around noon, though, I was snapped back to my busy to-do list. I had only this afternoon to do most of my holiday shopping, and I really wanted something fresh to wear to a dance this evening. While I could have gone off racing, I didn't. Instead of slipping into high gear, I meandered with ease. I noticed the clever art on the windows of the Starbucks, and I even chuckled outloud at the "To..." label someone had stuck on the outside of a window painted with a gift box and ribbons on the inside.
Then, I started walking by a number of homeless people, who were panhandling. I gave small amounts to two before entering a store. When I came out, I automatically turned right toward the Metro which was just a short distance when I got a clear message: "Walk!" OK: my next destination was just one Metro stop. Then, I was guided very specifically on my route, walking by several more panhandlers.
Then, Alexander asked for money for coffee. (At this point, of course, I didn't know he was Alexander.) I immediately knew that I was to say "yes" to this tall, thin African-American young man with dreadlocks and goatee. Almost as quickly, I knew I was to take him for coffee, not give him money. For the 150 feet to the McDonald's, my conversation was guided. The short version is that I bought Alexander coffee...and lunch, and I stayed to talk with him.
To say this was a most unexpected conversation would be an understatement. Alexander had been in DC for two years, since the death of his mother, to do research at the Library of Congress. He pulled out a stack of papers (2" high) to show me the genealogical research he'd been working on. We talked for at least an hour, a conversation that touched on algebra, genetics/chromosomes, farming, law, etiquette, posture (I straightened mine,) and theology. We also talked about doing good in the world, gratitude, following what Alexander called his "zeal," and helping others be better. His vocabulary was impressive even as he talked about wanting to get his GED.
I say "we" because while I was engaged in the conversation, mostly Alexander was talking like someone starved for someone to listen. Twice he stopped and asked if I didn't have somewhere else I needed to be, and twice I quite honestly said I was enjoying the conversation and learning from him. I learned stuff, but mostly I learned about my judgment. I also learned how grateful I was that I had taken time to listen to the voice that had brought Alexander into my life today. I had totally forgotten my to-do list.
As we parted, I looked Alexander in the eye and sincerely thanked him for allowing me to sit with him during lunch. I asked him to do one thing for me. "Please," I said, "will you do something kind for another person before you sleep?"
He smiled from ear to ear as he said, "I will!" The truth is that he already had. The Grocery Store Game keeps delivering the unexpected.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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